place romance is that one has mutual consent and the other has consent of only one person. In some occasions a workplace romance can begin with mutual approval from both, but after a break up if one person continues to approach the other and begins to force the approval it would become harassment (Pierce 453). Sexual harassment lawsuits are feared by all companies because of the high payouts that could bankrupt a business and the horrible reputation which may follow them for years afterwards. Furthermore, 75% of CEO's feared that a sexual harassment claim would come from a person who was invested in a workplace romance. (Pierce 453). A workplace romance can lead to a decrease in productivity in the organization. Concentration will falter because the workers will not be thinking about the work at hand and will be thinking about the romance. Managers will spend valuable time trying to address issues and concerns related to the romance, co workers will be discussing the possible unfairness if one of the persons in the relationship becomes promoted, others in the business may become vehement and jealous of the couple. It is also important to note that some employees have strong beliefs against dating in the workplace, and may find it inappropriate within a work setting; this problem may decrease their productivity for the company. (Powell 423) If the couple decides to end the romance, it may lead to one or both employees increase in absenteeism, the persons involved may not be eager to come to work and may eventually decide to quit. An ended relationship could severely affect levels of job satisfaction for not only the employees involved but for all employees who have encountered it. There will also be a decrease in company morale, and a lessened feeling of community the workplace. (Lickey 109). Another risk of a workplace romance is the increased turnover rate. If the two employees decide to terminate their relationship, one of them may not want to continue to work with the other, this could cause the company to lose some valuable employees and therefore, put a strain on the company. A major cost to the company would be the wasted time due to the distraction from this workplace romance. The time wasted includes not only the two employees involved, but also, managers and co-workers who work within the company. The two employees who are dating will spend more time talking on the phone with each other, emailing, and face to face. The manager will waste time worrying about the possible lawsuit scenario, and co-workers will be wasting time discussing and gossiping about the relationship. Relationships in the workplace are distracting for not only the people who are directly involved but also other employees in the company that are not involved. This can happen in the form of overhearing sexual discussions, inadvertently seeing sexual emails, witnessing inappropriate touching or kissing in the workplace. In addition, if the couple is experiencing problems with their relationship, coworkers may have to deal with the negative attitudes, fighting, or in the worst circumstance: violence. However, in order to come to an informed decision both sides must be examined.
What are the possible benefits of a workplace romance?
Many people believe that workplace romances can only have a negative outcome, but in fact there can be some benefits to having a romance in the workplace. A workplace romance can add the benefits of: increased job performance, increased productivity, increased involvement in the organization, reduced stress, lower turnover and have a possibility for marriage. In "Moving Beyond a Legal-
